McDonald’s Vanilla Shake
McDonald’s Vanilla Shake is made with soft serve vanilla reduced fat ice cream, vanilla shake syrup, and whipped light cream.
A medium milkshake has 570 calories, 15 grams fat, 97 grams carbohydrates, and 12 grams protein.
Read this guide for a complete overview of the nutritional information, ingredients, and allergens in McDonald’s vanilla shake.
Vanilla Shake Nutritional Information
Calories
Here is a summary of the number of calories derived from fat, carbs, and protein in each size McDonald’s vanilla milkshake.
Vanilla Shake
Calories (% of total) from Fat, Carbs, Protein|
Small |
Medium |
Large | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Calories from Fat |
120 (25%) |
135 (24%) |
175 (22%) |
|
Calories from Carbs |
320 (67%) |
385 (68%) |
535 (69%) |
|
Calories from Protein |
40 (8%) |
50 (8%) |
70 (9%) |
|
Total Calories |
480 |
570 |
780 |
Percentage of calories by macronutrient varies by size due to differences in the proportion of whipped cream topping and vanilla syrup to the amount of ice cream.
Based on the size medium milkshake, nearly 70% of the calories are derived from carbohydrates, which is largely comprised of sugars. Dietary fats make up about 24% of the total calories, and the remaining 8% is from protein.
Vanilla Shake
% calories from fat, carbs and proteinBased on medium
Calories by macronutrient is a rounded estimate based on nutritional information provided by McDonald’s fast food restaurant. Actual calories may vary as a result of how the shake is prepared onsite.
Total Calories by Size
Here are the total calories in McDonald’s vanilla shake with whipped topping for each size available: Small, Medium, and Large.
Check nutrition facts for McDonald’s desserts.
Here is a summary of the nutrition facts in each size vanilla shake from McDonald’s.
Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving in 1 Shake (%DV)
|
SMALL |
MEDIUM |
LARGE | |
|
Calories |
480 |
570 |
780 |
|
Total Fat |
13g (16%) |
15g (19%) |
19g (24%) |
|
Saturated Fat |
8g (41%) |
9g (47%) |
12g (61%) |
|
Trans Fat |
0.5g |
0.5g |
1g |
|
Cholesterol |
50mg (17%) |
60mg (19%) |
75mg (25%) |
|
Sodium |
210mg (9%) |
260mg (11%) |
360mg (16%) |
|
Carbohydrates |
80g (29%) |
97g (35%) |
133g (48%) |
|
Dietary Fiber |
0g (0%) |
0g (1%) |
0g (1%) |
|
Total Sugars |
51g |
62g |
85g |
|
Added Sugars |
40g (80%) |
48g (97%) |
67g (134%) |
|
Protein |
10g |
12g |
17g |
%DV based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calorie needs vary and your %DV may be higher or lower. Provided for informational purposes only. Consult with your physician for dietary or healthcare advice.
Daily Value
Daily Value (%DV) measures how much of a specific nutrient is in one shake, relative to the recommended limit.
Use %DV to determine if the level of nutrients is low (5% or less) or high (20% or more). Compare foods and balance choices based on your diet plan.
As shown in the chart below, a vanilla milkshake is high in saturated fat and added sugars.
|
SMALL |
MEDIUM |
LARGE | |
|
Saturated Fat |
41% |
47% |
61% |
|
Sodium |
9% |
11% |
16% |
|
Added Sugars |
80% |
97% |
134% |
Total Fat
A medium-sized McDonald’s vanilla shake has 15 grams total fat, including 9 grams saturated fat. With a 47% daily value, that is considered high.
To calculate %DV, divide the amount of a nutrient in one serving by the FDA-recommended daily limit.
|
Medium Shake |
per Serving |
Daily Limit* |
Daily Value |
|
Total Fat |
15g |
78g |
19% |
|
Saturated Fat |
9g |
20g |
47% |
*Based on FDA general nutrition advice for an adult following 2,000 calorie daily diet.
Compare the nutrition facts in a Chocolate Shake, which has up to 14% more calories than the vanilla shake (depending on size).
Sugars
McDonald’s milkshake has a high amount of sugar.
Sugar is a dominant ingredient in McDonald’s vanilla milkshake recipe. It’s listed as a top four ingredient in the ice cream, the vanilla shake syrup, and the whipped cream.
Here is a summary of the total sugars in a McDonald’s vanilla milkshake, by size.
Added Sugars
Moreover, the amount of added sugars is high. Added sugars are not found naturally in a raw food, but rather added to the recipe.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting calories from added sugars to 10% or less of total calories.
40 grams added sugars in a Small Milkshake is 80% of the recommended limit.
Compare nutritional value in an M&M’s Blizzard from Dairy Queen and a scoop of Tillamook vanilla bean ice cream. Check the amount of saturated fat and total sugars before deciding if the sweet treats are the best option for your diet plan.
Vanilla Shake Ingredients and Allergens
Ingredients
Here is the complete list of ingredients in McDonald’s vanilla milkshake.
McDonald’s Vanilla Shake Ingredients
|
Vanilla Reduced Fat Ice Cream |
|
Milk, Sugar, Cream, Corn Syrup, Natural Flavor, Mono And Diglycerides, Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, and Vitamin A Palmitate |
|
Vanilla Shake Syrup |
|
Corn Syrup, Water, Glycerin, Caramel Color, Vanilla Extract, Natural Flavor, Salt, Potassium Sorbate. |
|
Whipped Light Cream |
|
Cream, Nonfat Milk, Milk, Liquid Sugar, Mono And Diglycerides, Natural Flavors, and Carrageenan. Whipping Propellant (nitrous oxide). |
Potassium sorbate (used in the vanilla syrup) is a synthetically produced salt used as a preservative to inhibit the growth of molds and increase shelf life of processed foods.
Allergens
The vanilla shake is made with milk.
If you have a food allergy, check the full allergen guide for McDonald’s menu and consult with your physician before deciding which food is right for you.
Nutrition facts, prices, and ingredients are based on available information as of the date of publication. Restaurants and food manufacturers may change recipes or formulations without notice. Check package labels and ask the product manufacturer or restaurant for the most up-to-date information. Unless otherwise stated, %DV is based on a 2,000 calorie diet. All reports and reviews published on this site are for informational purposes only. NutritionandIngredients.com does not provide healthcare advice or dietary recommendations. Always consult your licensed physician for any healthcare or dietary advice.
Nutrition facts and ingredients source: McDonald’s. Milkshake image courtesy of McDonald’s. Original designs by Nutrition & Ingredients for purposes of research and commentary related to fast food nutrition.